Trust
by AzzyDarling
Summary: Trust is worth more than a gun.


AN; Sorry this silly little thing wouldn't leave me. Also I am sorta curious as to what Nick does on his own, might write that, it depends on my muse I suppose. This is unbetaed, because it's just something small, and I think I already but every beta I can think of to work. ;)

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><p>TRUST. <p>

_There is no-one left in the world_

_That I can hold onto_

_There is really no-one left at all_

_There is only you_

_And still the hardest part for you_

_To put your trust in me_

_-The cure._

"AW shit Coach." Nick groaned, running a bloody hand through his hair, slicking it back. He stared at Coach's corpse, horribly mangled by a hunter. "Great.." He hissed.

"Coach?" Ellis asked behind him.

"Dead as a doornail." Nick said deadpanned.

Ellis came to a stand next to him, staring down at Coach as well. Nick couldn't really see it on his younger companion, but he knew that Ellis was upset, he could hear it on his rapid breathing.

"Take care big guy," Nick mumbled as he squatted next to Coach, roaming the man's pockets for any painkillers or ammunition.

"Nick!" Ellis gasped horrified, "You can't do that.. that's, that's.. just wrong."

"He's dead, and I am in pain." Nick stated, not even looking up at Ellis, "It's not like he's gonna need them."

Ellis huffed, and crossed his arms angrily. Not condoning his at all.

Nick turned his head and looked up at Ellis. "How many clips you got?" He asked.

"Dunno, but I don't want those." Ellis stated.

"Come on man, don't get all worked up like that." Nick said with a little smile, hoping he could get Ellis to smile too. "I got two clips, and you can't have more than that either."

"I have a baseball bat." Ellis said, looking away from Nick.

"Have it like that then." Nick shrugged, and took the two clips that Coach had, and his painkillers, and stood up, loading his gun. He unscrewed the lid of the bottle of painkillers and downed some, he felt tired to the bone, wishing that Rochelle was around to take care of his wounds, he had a nagging suspicion that some was getting infected, they were angry red and swollen, and he could press puss out if he tried. Worst of all, they weren't healing. That was bad, he knew that.. But he just had to drag his ass along till he dropped. "What do you say? Left or right?"

"We should bury him." Ellis said, still looking out towards the horizon.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Nick said, blinking not sure he had heard right.

"I don't want him to get up as one of those things." Ellis said in a slightly whiny tone.

"Fine." Nick sighed, "Wait here." The things he did for that boy, the things he did.. He limped over to the house where he had seen a fire axe, shouldering his rifle he picked it up, was these things getting heavier? Or was he getting weaker? He shrugged off the depressing thought and returned to Ellis, rolling the axe in his hand.

Too late did Ellis realise what Nick had in mind, and he spun around holding out his hands, screaming "NICK! NO!" But the axe already was on its way down, separating Coach's head from his body.

Nick tossed the axe away in disgust, "There." He stated. "Happy?"

"No I'm not happy." Ellis sulked, frowning. "Oh God Nick, what did you do?"

"Well I for one is wearing a huge fucking happy hat, kiddo. And I just did as you asked, no way he's gonna rise as a cadaver now." Nick argued, he had to admit that it annoyed him, that Ellis felt he had the right to be all high and mighty like that. But he supposed that with Coach gone, someone had to take the higher moral grounds, and it sure as shit wasn't gonna be him. He was just here to not die, that was all.

"Yeah.. but it was COACH!" Ellis sucked in his breath, trying to will his angry childish tears away.

"Exactly." Nick said, "We did the best we could for him."

"You are a horrible person, Nick." Ellis said in an uneven voice.

"So sue me." Nick said, careful not to look down at the mess at his feet. "I am tired Ellis." He admitted, "I am sick and tired, of being sick and tired." Ellis nodded as if knew exactly what Nick meant. "I am not going to use my last strength to bury Coach, no matter if I liked him or not. I am going to use them for killing as many of those motherfuckers as I can, and hopefully catch a ride out of this infested shithole."

Ellis seemed to get a mental grip on himself. "Lets go." He said "Left." He still looked down at Coach and had to turn around swiftly not to gag.

Nick closed the door to the safe room and rested against it heavily. "That was too close for comfort." He panted.

Ellis just threw his rifle on the dining table, and set about to roam the cupboards.

"Ellis?"

"Yo overalls?"

"Hey?"

"Look at me you fucking hick!" Nick finally growled, pushing off the door.

Ellis turned and looked at him, "Beans." He stated.

"Wonderful, then I can die and shit myself at the same time." Nick said pulling the rifle strap over his head, and placed it on the desk. "Are you alright there?"

"Yeah I'm super." Ellis said, his voice full of anger.

"I don't have time for your passive aggressive shit Ellis." Nick said, "Tell me what the fuck your problem is, because I really want to know. You hesitated shooting that smoker that had me." He pulled his grimy shirt up and showed the red welts from the smokers tongue. "You hesitated Ellis, I saw it."

"So what if I did?" Ellis shrugged, opening a drawer to see if he might be lucky enough to find a can opener. Nick leaned against the kitchen desk, and with a swift slap, he slammed the drawer over Ellis' hand. "Ow! Fuck!" Ellis whined, and struggled to get his hand out, but Nick wouldn't let him.

"Are we gonna have a trust issue here?" Nick said acidly. "For these past weeks I have counted on you having my back, as I have yours."

"You decapitated Coach." Ellis spat.

Nick didn't even flinch, he just flickered that stupid cap off Ellis' head. "I did." He took a deep breath, "And I would have done it to Rochelle too, if it was not for the fact that she was blown to a million pieces." When Ellis didn't answer, Nick shook his head. "I need to know if I can trust you or not, because right now I am not sure I can."

"You could have shot that hunter on Coach." Ellis squirmed as Nick put more pressure on the drawer, crushing Ellis' hand more.

"Is that what you think?" Nick said, he sounded disappointed, "Believe me, kid. If I had been able to hit it, I would have. Coach was a valuable member of this team."

"Valuable member?" Ellis stared at Nick in disbelief.

"You do what you gotta do to survive," He smirked, "I am sure that you'd never even look in my direction, had it not been for the fact that I happen to be stuck here like you." He leaned in and whispered, "You need me to survive, don't kid yourself overalls. You're just like me. A survivor."

"YOU TOOK COACH'S HEAD OFF!" Ellis screamed, earning him some growls from the outside as the zombies noticed his voice.

"Ellis, dear." Nick said calmly. "He was already DEAD!" He then screamed back.

"It doesn't matter!" Ellis argued.

"It makes a huge fucking difference in my book." Nick said out through clenched teeth, and then let go of the drawer, escaping the kitchen with angry long strides.

"Hush!" Nick poked Ellis with the mussel of his rifle, "Shut up would you?" He stood perfectly still listening to the park, they could see swaying figures between the bushes, but worse than that they could hear a faint crying.

"Shit, it's one of them crying girls." Ellis whispered.

Nick nodded, and turned the light off his rifle flash light. "I hate those whining bitches." He stated mostly to himself. "Come on, just be careful." They tiptoed around the bushes until they saw her, "You go first." Nick whispered, nudging Ellis in the back gently.

"Fuck that." Ellis squealed hushed.

"I like to have you where I can see you." Nick hissed "Wouldn't want a hunting accident on my hands."

Ellis just stared at Nick not believing what he head, but then just pushed him back hard. "Asshole." He growled under his breath, and set about the task to sneak around the deadly infected.

As the witch growled louder, and warning, Nick looked at Ellis who with skittish steps tried to avoid her personal space. It was as Nick had foreseen, there was not really enough space here to get around her, and she slowly stood up, howling.

"NICK!" Ellis screamed pitifully. His voice high-pitched and close to hysterical with fear.

Nick crept up behind the witch who had still not moved out of the spot, she just stood there howling, waving her clawlike hands angrily around her, focused on Ellis, who looked like he was gonna faint. Nick was sure she didn't even register the four shotgun slugs that went into her head from behind. "And stay down." He said, grinning to himself as he stepped over the dead witch.

Ellis had finally got his limbs moving again, and walked straight up to Nick and punched him straight in the face. He would have laughed at the other man's expression, when he landed on his ass, had he not been this angry. "You fucking bastard! You used me as bait!"

Nick wiped his bloody nose, "So what if I did? We're both fine, and she's dead. What the fuck is your problem man?"

"You are my damn problem." Ellis yelled, "You used me as BAIT for the love of Christ!"

Nick looked up at Ellis with a little smug smile that just pissed Ellis more off. "Would you have done it if I had asked you nicely?"

"No."

"There you have it!" Nick stated, slowly getting to his feet. "And fuck you very much, you stupid shit-stain redneck, you could have broken my nose."

"I wish I had." Ellis stated and turned around walking away.

When Nick finally made it to the safe room he found the door bolted, "Ellis?" He called, but there was no answer. "Ellis dammit!" He banged the door, and at the same time listening for the growls of the undead predators, not sure if any was around to have their curiosity piqued by his noise.

"Find your own safe room." Ellis finally answered from the inside.

"How the fuck would you suggest I do that you stupid hick?" Nick said with a warning edge to it, good thing that Ellis couldn't see his body language, because he literally pressed himself flat against the door.

"Go back to the one we were in before, and take a different route around the park." Ellis declared, his tone dead and tired.

"Ellis.. please, I'm sorry about the witch, I'm sorry about Coach, hells I'm even sorry that Rochelle blew herself up. Just let me in." Nick said, his voice so close to pathetic begging that he wasn't sure what to think of it.

"I can't trust you." Ellis said from the inside.

"Have I ever hurt you?" Nick said sweetly.

"No."

"Then what is it?" Nick asked, "I want to get out of here alive, just as much as you do." His hands flat against the red door, hoping to hear the sound of the hinges turning as the door opened. Ellis didn't answer, and Nick just rested his head against the door. "Ellis please, I will die out here alone." He whispered, not sure if Ellis could hear him. Ellis still didn't answer him, but he could hear the distinct sound of crying behind the thick wall. "I know you're tired, and your mind is playing tricks on you. But please Ellis, sweet Ellis, I wouldn't hurt you. I need you to get through this. We need to stick together."

Nick waited for an answer that never came. He turned around and slid down the door with his back against it. He idly roamed his pockets and found a cigaret, and lit it, staring out at the cemetery wall. "Okay." He just sighed. "Okay Ellis, have it your way." He watched as the sun slowly set over the cemetery, "You're right, I should have been honest with you, it just doesn't come easy to me.. The truth and trust I mean." He took a drag of his cigaret and rested the back of his head against the door. "Truth is that I am scared. Before this whole clusterfuck, I was at my best when solo, but now.. Now I find that the last thing I want is to be alone." He tossed the cigarette butt away and got to his feet, banging the door twice. "And you're a real cunt, you know that? You just killed us both." His voice so loud he was sure that Ellis heard every word, and then walked away from the door, suppose Ellis was right, suppose he had to walk another way around the park. He turned on the flash light on his rifle and walked off in the dark.

The door flung up, and Ellis stepped out, "Nick?"

"NICK?"

"Nick come back!"

He leaned against the door frame, staring at the spot where Nick had been seated just fifteen minutes ago. "I'm scared too." He said to the thin air, and closed the door with a heavy heart.


End file.
